Are Beta Blocker Side Effects Worth the Risk?

Do you know what you are getting yourself into with Beta Blocker Side Effects? Beta Blockers are drugs prescribed for abnormal heart rhythms and high blood pressure; however side effects of beta blockers may very well be the CAUSE of abnormal heart rhythms- some of them deadly. Beta blocker medication is a class of prescription drugs that include:

Sotalol

Atenolol

Propranolol

Timolol

Metoprolol

They are also in a larger class of drugs called 'Antiarrhythmatic' or
'Antiarrhythmic' drugs that are supposed to prevent irregular heart
rhythms. They are given to people with high blood pressure, heart rhythm
problems called 'Ventricular Tachycardia', and Atrial Fibrillation. Additionally, their administration is the 'Standard of Care' for all cases of Heart Failure-
meaning that doctors are obligated to put heart failure patients on beta
blocker medication unless there is a medically justifiable reason not to.

Well, with the side effects of beta blockers that will be listed
below, these seem like they just might be medically justifiable reasons
not to give beta blockers, unfortunately the medical profession doesn't
see it that way.

While beta blockers seem as though they should be life SAVING
medications, this is not necessarily true and may even be more deadly,
in certain people, than receiving no drug at all! Beta blocker medication can
lead to a condition called Prolonged QT Interval
which can lead to a deadly heart rhythm called 'Torsades de Pointes'
which can occur in between 2.5 to 4% of all people that receive beta
blocking medications.

Torsades de Pointes is a very specific heart rhythm that means your
heart is not beating. Unfortunately, it LOOKS almost exactly the same on
an EKG as a heart rhythm that requires emergency defibrillation. But
Torsades does not respond to defibrillation, which makes it extremely
deadly. While Beta Blocker medication helps with minor abnormal heart rhythms, they CAUSE more deadly ones that contribute to the extremely
high rates of Congestive Heart Failure Death! Nice, huh!

Diabetes

While most people would not think of diabetes as a 'side effect' of a drug, unfortunately beta blockers side effects DO
include the development of diabetes at such high rates that one study
evaluating this had to stop the study before it was completed due to the
high rates of diabetes in those who were taking the beta blockers!(3)

Unfortunately, this advice to 'think carefully' before giving
beta blockers does not apply to those with congestive heart failure who
are still under the standard of care to receive beta blockers on a
routine basis. This is especially problematic because most people with
CHF are elderly and already frail with multiple medical conditions.
Having to also deal with new onset diabetes is not one of the beta
blocker side effects that they should have to be subjected to.

Depletes Things That You Need

If a higher rate of Congestive Heart Failure Death from arrhythmias and diabetes weren't enough, other beta blocker side effects include the depletion of nutrients(1)(2) that you need such as:

Coq10 Production

Melatonin Production

The blocking of these two nutrients is particularly problematic because CoQ10 Depletion in Heart Failure
is already seen as a BIG problem; and the depletion of melatonin can
lead to increased aging and worsening sleep patterns in the elderly who
often benefit from Melatonin for Sleep even when they don't have heart problems.

Alternatives to Beta Blockers

While you should ALWAYS have the cooperation of your
doctor if you would like to get off of any drug, it's especially
important that you are under the care of a cardiologist and are being
monitored carefully for any ill effects if you decide that it is in your
best interest to stop taking beta blockers.

Having said that, there are some cardiologists who have had success getting people who are experiencing Beta Blocker Side Effects safely off of their medications. Dr. Rogers is one such doctor and says:

"I have found that most people can wean off beta-blockers and other high
blood-pressure medications by increasing their Omega-3 (fish oil) and
magnesium (700 mg a day or up to bowel tolerance). Some individuals will
also need niacin (B3) at rather high doses." Conventional Medical Therapies

Withdrawals Can be Problematic

While it's great to know that there might be ways that you can safely get off of heart and blood pressure medications, unfortunately, just like Antidepressant Side Effects, symptoms of withdrawal can keep you in a trap of never being able to get off of these drugs, or having a very hard time when you try.

In the case of the beta blockers, particularly metoprolol, a phenomenon called 'rebound hypertension' can occur where the blood pressure goes up to levels even worse than they were before you took the medication in the first place.

Bursts of high heart rates, even at rest, are common, while anxiety, tremors, headaches, anxiety, depression, and general feelings of unwellness(4) can cause those taking the drugs to be stuck on them years longer than they need to be because they simply are unable to stop taking them without severe symptoms.

For those that experience these symptoms, 'weaning' off the drug gradually over a period of several months can help diminish the symptoms, but for those who are sensitive, they may experience problems for months and even years after stopping the drugs. Be cautious when starting these drugs, as beta blocker side effects are not benign, and you might be experiencing problems even years after you don't need the drugs anymore.